MovieChat Forums > Sleuth (1972) Discussion > If the Doppler revelation was supposed t...

If the Doppler revelation was supposed to be such a surprise...

posted 16 years ago by Croc-O-Dyle
24 replies | jump to latest

...then why in heaven's name was he, spoiler, speaking in a completely unchanged Caine voice? 'is standard, never-changing, 'orrible cockney voice, guv'nor. I first saw "Sleuth" a couple of years ago, having no idea that there would be any "twist" attempt and expecting just a standard mystery/Columbo kind of a movie, and when "Doppler" first spoke (which he in fact did before showing his face, if I can recall), my first thought was "Hey, Caine in disguise".

Mankiewicz should have really used a dubbed voice. I have to see the new 2007 remake and see if they did something about that there...

[–] Ace_Spade 16 years ago

He had a different accent, man. It was a lower-class British accent, but it was not cockney.

Anyways, I guessed through it, too, but you must admit, he didn't look like Caine at all.

[–] universaldennis 10 years ago

I'm afraid that, upon my most recent rewatch, I was astonished at how much I thought Inspector Doppler looked just like Michael Caine.

But perhaps that's because I have the benefit of knowing how Michael Caine has actually aged since 1972. :)

[–] ScottMolling 16 years ago

I assumed you were always supposed to know it was still Michael Caine (or Jude Law in the new one), but what I was wondering the entire time was whether or not he was still playing the same character. I thought it was possible that Tindle was dead and that Caine was now playing a second role as the detective.

So I was still intrigued.

[–] jimmydude6581 16 years ago

I assumed you were always supposed to know it was still Michael Caine (or Jude Law in the new one), but what I was wondering the entire time was whether or not he was still playing the same character. I thought it was possible that Tindle was dead and that Caine was now playing a second role as the detective.

So I was still intrigued.

This is what I thought as well. The big shocking reveal for me wasn't that Caine was playing Doppler, its that TIndle was still alive. I've seen it done in enough movies where one actor plays two characters, especially stage adaptations. I honestly believe Tindle was killed early on, so when it was revealed he was alive, that was the shock to me.

[–] srjow 15 years ago

Doppler's accent was mild West Country: only supposed to blow the ruddy stable doors off I'll be bound...

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" Carl Sagan

[–] !!!deleted!!! (3385874) 15 years ago

You must not know much about British accents. While I also picked up that it was Caine in disguise, his accent was different. Using a dubbed voice would have been horrible because that would ruin the game.

If wishes were fishes we'd all smell funny.

[–] burttheswimmer 15 years ago

This seems to me the one true weakness of an otherwise excellent film. The play script leaves you in no doubt that it is meant to be a surprise who Doppler is (despite clues), but the make up and voice in the film barely disguise Caine.

I think it is a mistake of the film rather than the intention, as the whole point of the play seems to be that we are aurprised and played in the same way each of the two characters is, always being placed in the position of the character being tricked.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tbrittreid 14 years ago

What drugs are you guys on? I was in my twenties the first time I saw this film, and was absolutely shocked when Caine dropped the first contact lens and the accent; there's no doubt in my mind that this was the intent. Admittedly, there is no such thing as "virtually an anagram" as Milo claims, which I consider a flaw. Is that line in the play?

The GREEN HORNET Strikes Again!

[–] Diego_rjc 13 years ago

I was pretty shocked when he revealed himself to be Caine also. So, what some of you are regarding as a weak pint, I personally thought it was mind-blowing.

great, great movie

[–] eru0527 13 years ago

Just rewatched it, if you know it's Caine, yeah of course it's obvious, but if you don't... He looks completely different, everything about his appearance is changed, his hair, his eyebrows, his moustache, his dialect, his voice, his everything... He does even feel shorter, a lot fatter and with a completely different posture (or whatever the word is in English, gait, carriage, build?).

Although I realized it was him 20 or so seconds before the reveal, when he started to loosen up on the act because he had accomplished what he came for, I have a hard time believing as many as say they did realized from the get-go that it was Caine... The first few minutes it's almost impossible if you aren't expecting it for some reason.

[–] chunkylefunga 12 years ago

I have just watched this film for the first time just a few minutes ago.

I literally had no idea what this movie would be about, I watched it as I'm going through the top 250 films.

Anyway the minute I saw the detective standing outside the door I straight away noticed it was Michael Caine. I merely thought that he was playing another character at first (like Guinness in Cornonets).
Whilst he does indeed try to put on an accent you can clearly hear his London accent seeping through. I'm a Londoner myself so it was very obvious.

Then shortly after I realised he was supposed to be in disguise and essentially had to wait for rather a long time before he 'revealed himself'

I loved the acting in this film but due to realising it was Caine from the get go I can't rate this film as highly as I would have liked coupled with the fact that from about halfway into the film I guessed how it was going to end and it played out exactly as I thought it would, thought that's another matter.

[–] ccoutroulos 10 years ago

I was taken in at first, but guessed it when Caine slipped a bit with the accent.

[–] offramp_tavanipupu 12 years ago

I had exactly the same problem. When Doppler turns up he is so OBVIOUSLY My Cocaine again that I assumed we were meant to know that it was him. But then I realised that on a stage it would be very hard for an audience to see; they would not know that it was the same actor.

My Cocaine was a bad choice - he has no variation in his voice. He tries a west country accent but he can't keep it up. Alan Bates would've been better, really.

[–] Towelie_Towel 12 years ago

I saw the movie and didn't notice it was Caine at all.

[–] violentauntie 12 years ago

I would guess that most people did not realize it was Caine, at least at first. Whilst I understand that seeing this ruse would slightly weaken the effect, what is important is that Wyke does not see it. This is completely believable due to the fact that Wyke is surprised then put under stress.

The audience usually has a better view of the narrative world than the characters (omnipotent viewpoint), less so in whodunnits/mystery's as we are supposed to work things out not just follow along. The film isn't reliant on the reveal or twists, it's the characters relationship that is key in this film.

[–] riffler26 11 years ago

The way that Doppler finishes his words sounds exactly like Caine, it was a dead give away to me.

I liked the quick flash to the MT on the orange car covered by branches. It serves both the viewers who figure out that it's Caine and the viewers who don't. To the viewers who don't the car was covered by Olivier himself (although why would someone do that instead of just moving it from the driveway, which is a clue in itself that Caine came back) to the viewers who did figure it out it could be viewed that it was Caine who hid it.

There was enough of Caine to give way Doppler but not enough to make it clearly obvious.

[–] oh_no_mrbill 11 years ago

Yeah it was clearly Michael Caine from the first moment I saw him. It was actually kind of laughable. His eyes, the bald cap, the fake nose, especially the voice.

[–] meneldil 10 years ago

Yes, and it's even more obvious in the remake. In the remake the audience is supposed to understand that it is Jude Law. But in the 1972-version? Probably not. The movie would have been better if Doppler was a big surprise for the audience...